Jack O'Connor could see the funny side to managing an All-Ireland winning minor team after achieving a similar feat with the Kerry senior and U21 teams and, indeed, Coláiste na Sceilge.

"I did it arse-ways!" he remarked after his Kerry young guns ended a 20-year wait for Tom Markham Cup honours.

"I did it back to front - like the wedding after the honeymoon. It's great - I always enjoyed coaching at this level. I cut my teeth with the colleges for eight years and I'm delighted for these guys because they're young and they're raw and they take advice."

On a day when Kerry also captured the Sam Maguire Cup, the Dromid Pearses clubman admitted that the minors had to work hard for their success.

"Ah sure these fellas weren't even born when we won this last," he continued.

"It's just fantastic. The bottom line is it's 20 years since we won it; a lot of good teams have come and gone since then and haven't won it. That was a good Donegal team and as you saw yourself when we were six points up and looking like we were home - they put it up to us."

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